Light Of My Death

[Peach]

This was shot for the Assignment, though I chose not to use it. It's from my first attempt at shooting with a long exposure (At least, I think it's a long exposure lol). There was no other light anywhere in the apartment except for this lighter. Is there anything I could improve on?



Exif:
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D40X
Shutter Speed: 80/10 second
F Number: F/10.0
Focal Length: 48 mm
ISO Speed: 200

I am still struggling with depth of field issues (I can't seem to get backgrounds on my picture to be blurry, but that doesn't count in this picture) and I'm really happy with the outcome of this but I just wanted some advice or some tips on improving such shots.

Thanks,
Peach

[jiminyClickit]

Peach,

Intentions will almost always dictate what "improvement" means. If I went to the title and assumed a smoking connection, I could imagine a pale cigarette in the fingers either behind and pointing at "10 o'clock" or in front pointing down to "7 o'clock." That could mean cropping right side, adding room to left. Otherwise it is a good photo.

[geotography]

Peach,

Nice flame. I like your hand in it; however, I cannot conceive of my own hand (or anyone's hand) being still during a long exposure. May want to try this with a candle for the fun of it with a small secondary subject nearby that borrows the light of the flame.

[Peach]

Jiminy, there is a smoking connection; I'm a "social smoker" and I thought of the cigarette just after I posted this lol. I though "darn, that would have made this better!".


geotography - yep, my hand really was that still. I just held my breath and waited for the shutter to open back up again. You can see a tiny bit of movement on my thumb, though. The suggestion on the candle is a good one! I'm going to have to try that out Thanks!

[peeperita]

boy, do you ever have steady hands....

i liked where you were going with this image when i first saw it on the assignment thread....i think that if you decided to try you hand at it again, you might benefit with more fill lighting....candles, low watt lamp, anything handy.....i would like to see a little more of what's going on in the shadows and that's a possible way to go about it......

thanks

peeper

[FocalFrenzy]

Hi Peach,
I also took a Ghetto Lighting shot using a lighter. Mine was the one with the Zippo. Like you, I had some motion blur. I handheld the camera, thinking that if the camera moved, so would the other hand with the lighter. Nope! Didn't work. I wound up deleting that post and submitting another. "Paradise by the dashboard lights" It's at the bottom of page 20, I think. It also has motion blur, but the idea was good. It looks as though you did a better job of holding still than I did. Maybe I should switch to de-caf......? I like the way your shot turned out. I will have to continue experimenting.

[Peach]

Focalfrenzy - there's no way I could have held still for so long if I were holding the camera. This is why I used a tripod They are your best friend, sometimes. I used the tripod for the image I submitted for the assignment too. I like your shot too! Good work!

[Liz Caldwell]

You hand looks a lot clearer than mine did in my submission... link

I do like Jiminy's (my new best friend ) idea of adding the smoke... *ashes my cig*

I think, if it's ok with you, to set it as my desktop wall paper when I quit smoking... soon, hopefullly

I'm confused on your exif though, was it taken at 10 seconds, or 1/10 of a second?

[Peach]

Liz, about the exif - I've no idea. that's the info I grabbed off deviantart. It was a long friggen time though before the shutter opened up and I could move. I have problems with numbers so.. I rely on just going by what is said when I upload the picture. I do know the F number was F10, and that the number before that on the back of my display says 10".

I just timed it and it's 10 seconds. I clicked the shutter.. it closed.. 10 seconds later (1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, etc) it opened back up and the picture displayed on the back. Surprisingly, I got a really clear shot of part of my living room O.o lol